Standard Missile 1 MR RIM-66A and RIM-66B

Description

The Standard Missile is one of the most reliable in the Navy's inventory. Used against missiles, aircraft and ships. It replaced Terrier and Tartar missiles and is part of the weapons suit of more than 100 Navy ships.

Reliability improvements included all-electric design (hydraulic power for control surfaces was eliminated) and solid-state electronics with the first battery power in a US Missile. These improvements reduced the warm-up time from 27 seconds down to 1/15 of a second.

RIM-66A was an interim missile that used the existing Tartar Mark 27 motor. RIM-66B introduced a new dual-thrust motor to achieve greater speed and range. The SM-1 MR, SM-2 MR and Tartar missiles are virtually identical in appearance but quite different in performance.